s simmonds



(No Model.) 2,SheetsShee't 1.

W. SIMMONDS. HAT STRETGHING MACHINE.

No. 375.013. Patented Dec. 20, 1887;

Jag/

(No Model.)

2 SheetsShet 2. W. SIMMONDS.

HAT STRETOHING MACHINE.

No. 375,013. Patented Dec. 20,1887.

N. PETERS. Pmwumu m wmmmn, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SIMMONDS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSI GNOR OF T\VO-THIRDS TO LYDIA E. BELKNAP AND \VILLIAM H. BELKNAP, OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-STRETCHlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,013, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed July 16, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern.- l

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SrMMoNDs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Yonkers, Westchester count-y, State of New York,

5 haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Stretching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to finishing and flattening the tips of felt hats, and has for its obl ject the production of a machine adapted to perform this work simultaneously with the operation of stretching and developing the brims.

Heretofore the stretching and shaping of hat-bodies has necessitated three operations 1 viz., forming or stretching the tip on a tipstretching machine, stretching and developing the brim on another machine, and removing from the tip the marks made by the starstretcher of the tip-stretching machine.

My invention contemplates the use of means for removing the marks of the tipstretching machine from and flattening the crown-tips of hats, consisting of a reciprocating roller or rollers or trencher arranged to act on the 2 crown-tip when the brim is being formed by the stretching ribs and fingers of the brim stretching machine, said rollers or trencher being, by suitable mechanism, connected to and actuated from a motor device of the brim o stretching machine.

By reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description a full understanding of my invention will be had.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a hat-brim- 5 stretching machine having my improved crown-tip flattener applied thereto, with part of the finger-plate of brim-stretching machine broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the upper part of the maro chine. Fig. 3 is a central vertical transverse section of the same, and Fig. 4 shows a modification in the construction of the hat-tip finisher or stretcher.

It will be understood that my improved :5 crown-tip flattener can be applied to any machine adapted to stretch and develop hatbrims, whether operated by hand or partly or wholly automatic in operation.

The machine selected by me to illustrate the operation of my crown-tip flattener is one well Serial No. 244,447. (No model.)

known and in general use, so that the following brief description of the same will suffice.

The side frames, a a, are connected together by the crossplates a (t and the annularlyflanged top plate, a. Fitted to slide in bearings in theplates a and a is the shaft b,which carries at its upper end the hat-supporting shell or former c and hinged ribs (1 d. This shaft 1) is raised by means of the treadle 'e, which is connected thereto by the links 6 e, and when it is so raised with the ribs 01 d betweenthe stretching-fingers f f said ribs are spread out by the upward movement of the plate d through the medium of the links (i which are actuated by a tappet on the shaft of the hand-lever g. a The stretching-fingersf fare hinged to the top plate, a, and above this plate is located the annular finger-plate 72, connected to, the fingers by the links h. This plate h is carried by the rodsi i, fitted to slide in vertical bearings in the side frames, a a, and connected to the main shaft j, from which they receive a reciprocating movement through the medium of the system of links and levers z" i i and eccentric j. 7 5

One of the means devised by me by which a rubbing action is applied to the crown-tip of a hat while the brim is being stretched by the fingersff consists of two rollers, k 70, held in a small frame pivoted to the pendent frame Z, and said frame having a bearing on the plate m, which is supported by the rods n a, secured to and projecting upwardly from the top plate,

a". This plate at is free to slide on the rods n n, which are provided with springs 0 0, 10- cated between the upper surface of the plate m and nuts n n on the rods a n. The object of these springs is to cause the rollers k k to be held down on the crown-tip of the hat placed over the former a with a yielding pressure, and the nuts n a provide means for regulating the strength of the springs 0 0 and for vertically adjusting the rollers, so as to cause them to act on different sizes of hats. The former c is generally made vertically adjustable to accommodate these different sizes.

To impart the necessary rolling motion to the rollers k is, by which creases are removed from the crowntip, the arm 2, projecting from the frame Z, is connected to the vertically-re 1C0 ciprocated plate h. To provide for all necessary adjustment, the slotted standard 19 is secured to the plate h, and the link q connects the adjustable 'stud r, projecting from the standard 19, to the arm Z. Several holes are provided in the arm Z for the connection of the link q thereto, thus providing means for varying the amount of motion imparted to the rollers 7t 7s.

The operation is as follows: A hat-body being placed on the former a, the operator lifts the former up between the fingers f by means of the treadle c, and then spreads out the ribs (1 d by depressing the hand-lever g, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3. This raising of the former 0 brings the crown tip of the hat thereon in contact with the rollers k k, which are moved rapidly backward and forward on the crown-tip by the vertically-reciprocating plate h, said plate It at the same time causing the stretching-fingers f f to act on the brim of the hat. After this action has occurred for a short time, the former is dropped down into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the hat partly rotated on the former, and then again brought in active position, said operation being repeated until all parts of the crown-tip and brim have been uniformly acted upon.

A simple rubbing device for removing the creases from the crown-tip is shown at Fig. 4,

a trencher or rubbing-bar, t, being shown in place of the rollers. The bar tis carried by the bar t", which is pivoted at its outer end to the standard 25 secured to the vertically-reciprocating plate h. The trencher tis held in contact with the crown-tip of the hat by means of the spring i As the plate h moves up and down, the trencher t hasa movement at right angles thereto across the tip of the hat.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, substantially as set forth, with a machine for stretching hat-bodies, containing a former upon which the hat is held, of an automatically laterally reciprocating crown-tip flattener carried by the machine and arranged to bear and act upon the crowntip of the hat.

2. In combination, a machine for stretching hat-bodies, containing a former upon which the hat is held, an automatically laterally-reciprocating spring-acting frame connected to and operated by the machine, and a roller or rollers held therein and arranged to bear upon the hat.

3. In a machine for stretching and developing hat-bodies, in combination, a former upon which the hat is held, expanding ribs projecting therefrom, pivoted fingers for stretching the brim, avertically-movingfinger-plate connected to the fingers by links, a roller or rubbing device carried by a frame pivoted to a vertically-yielding plate, and a connecting link joining the roller or rubber-frame to the fingerplate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device for finishing or stretching the crown-tips of felt hats, in combination, the former c, the rollers 70 7c, the pendent frame Z, the plate m, carried by the rods n n, and held down with a yielding pressure by springs 0 o, the arm Z of the frame Z, the link q, the slotted standard 19, and the vertically-reciprocating plate h, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Yonkers, county of \Vestchester, 

